Stimson Center Calls for Withdrawal of Nukes from Europe, Turkey

PRESS RELEASE

Stimson Center Calls for Withdrawal of Nukes from Europe, Turkey

Aug. 16, 2016 (EIRNS)—The Stimson Center issued a report yesterday calling for the removal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, and curtailing the B61-12 modernization program back to providing only a sufficient number of bombs for U.S. strategic aircraft.

"We recommend that the U.S. forego the procurement of B61s intended for delivery by fighter aircraft, and remove the weapons from Europe immediately,"

the authors wrote.

"This would save approximately $3.7 billion from FY 2017-2021, and just over $6 billion during the lifetime of the program, resources that could be used more productively to strengthen conventional forces."

The report particularly highlights the risk of keeping nuclear bombs at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey (nobody seems to know why they are there in any case): "

During the failed coup in Turkey in July, power to the base was cut off and the Turkish government prohibited U.S. aircraft from flying in or out. Eventually, the base commander was arrested and implicated in the coup planning,"

the authors wrote.

"Whether the U.S. could have maintained control of the weapons in the event of a protracted civil conflict in Turkey is an unanswerable question."